The Empire
The Empire is organized into 14 wards with their own state political the western third of Etherel. It is legally atheist. Imperial common is the official language, though Shadovani and Golac are also spoken in wards populated by shadow elves and kitunes. Demographics The Empire is comprised predominantly of humans. It is also home to shadow elves, kitunes and merenern, and small communities of croni. Following is a breakdown of demographics by percentage of total population. The total population of the Empire, as of the last census, is 436 million. *Human: 46% (200,560,000 people) *Kitune: 22% (95,920,000 people) *Shadow Elf: 14% (61,040,000 people) *Merenern: 12% (52,320,000 people) *Cronus: 3% (13,080,000 people) *2 or more races: 2.5% (10,900,000 people) *Other: 0.5% (2,180,000 people) The shadow elf population primarily inhabit the cities of Shadovane, Mirrhvale and Lazerus. Kitunes and croni primarily inhabit the area surrounding the ing of Fire. A secondary population of croni inhabit the city of Amsol. The largest single settlement of Merenern is located in the lake city, Morgrotten. Shadovane and Mirrhvale have strict citizenship qualifications that require a certain percentage of an inhabitant's lineage to be of the shadow elf race. Economy The Empire does not officially engage in trade with outside nations, but rather has a contained economy with a hard border. Each ward has an independent economy, and the wards support themselves by relying on trade with each other. Smuggling operations do occur in the border states, where Mirrhvale's control is less heart felt. The primary sources of income for the various wards are as follows: *1st Ward: governing; taxation. No hard assets. *2nd Ward: mining *3rd Ward: mining; agriculture *4th Ward: agriculture; fishing; logging *5th Ward: agriculture; fishing; logging *6th Ward: agrigulture; logging *7th Ward: agriculture; fishing *8th Ward: agriculture; fishing *9th Ward: mining *10th Ward: mining *11th Ward: enchantment; (unofficially) smuggling *12th Ward: fishing, medicine *13th Ward: maintenance of the prison at the Ring of Fire; mining *14th Ward: logging Military and Government The Emperor is the highest power in the Empire. The Emperor is Conan, Light of Ignorance, an Immortal who has served this function since the inception of the Empire. The two most important governmental figures under him are Rahkna, Shadow of Lies; and Shadow Queen Meredith, Shadow of Passion. Both figures are also Immortals. Beyond the Immortals, the other eleven wards are organized into local government bodies with a ruling caste comprised of minor nobility whom have influence over the court systems in their districts. The Eleventh Ward is ruled in name by the Court of the Mass, whose most influential member is titled Lord Justice. In practice, and unlike most other wards, the Eleventh Ward is run by the Cross, a powerful cartel which trafficks in the smuggling of stinger (an addictive sedative drug) and raw materials commonly used in enchantment such as cadmium and gemstones. Military The Imperial Military is comprised of several independent militias which take commands from their local officials unless otherwise directed by missive of the Emperor. These standing forces differ in degree of strength and organization, serving different purposes throughout the Empire. In the Eleventh Ward, the secret police serve as the closest thing the border territory has to a standing military and are under the direct control of the Court of the Mass. In the Eight Ward, the Pyre Magi are the standing force, and serve as guards of the Ring of Fire prison, as well as a policing body for the surrounding cities. Two cities within the Empire have access to elite military forces with rigid internal structures. Those cities are Mirrhvale and Shadovane, which the Emperor has absolute control over. Mirrhvale Mirrhvale's forces are separated into three bodies. Common foot soldiers represent the bulk of the armed forces. Officers are called Enlightened and comprise a force of highly trained mages with direct command over the foot soldiers. Of the prophets, four are selected for service as the Emperor's personal honor guard. These officers are referred to as Prophets. Shadovane Shadovane's forces are separated based on class, with the foot soldiers divided into three subgroups based on their individual skillsets. *Thorns: Intelligence gatherers and torturers. They claim the palace dungeons as their domain and specialize in coersion and espionage. *Wraiths: Assassins and tactical forces who work primarily within the confines of the Shadow World, a lightless reflection of the real world where the laws of space and time are circumspect, allowing for rapid travel from place to place. The Shadow World is plagued by the Force of Wills, a manifestation of negative, mortal emotions which may drive the unwary insane through prolonged exposure. Wraiths are trained to fend off this force, as well as to manipulate the Shadow World to its fullest potential. The Wraith force is the only branch which accepts commoners into its ranks. The test for entrance requires that a candidate kill a close relative, in order to prove his loyalty to the queen. *Mauls: Infantrymen trained in combat magic and the use of various weapons. This is the largest body of Shadovane's forces, who are skilled in the use of ambush tactics often performed in conjunction with the Wraiths. These ambush tactics have contributed to the reputation of Shadovane's forces that can appear anywhere, and even be in two places at once. Field officers perform most of the organizing of Shadovane's lowest class of soldiers. They are governed by the Council of Liam, which is comprised of six generals whom each preside over a branch of the military. The Bloodless are special forces units trained in the use of advanced forms of death magic. They are seldom seen in combat, but are among the most dangerous forces in Etherel. The order of Bloodless are feared for their command over the Shadow World and their extensive combat training both in magic and physical fighting forms. Of all of Shadovane's forces, they are the greatest asset to both the Shadow Queen and the Emperor. Notable Cities *Mirrhvale (capital) *Arnor *Malicar *Doric *Ash Island *Lun *Amsol *Lazerus *Morgrotten *Shadovane